Brussels, 28/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - The French Presidency of the Council this week submitted to its partners the timetable it has scheduled for the Intergovernmental Conference on reforming the European institutions until its expected conclusion in Nice, from 7 to 9 December. After the informal European Council of Biarritz, on 13 and 14 October, meetings will be held on a weekly basis.
The Preparatory Group of the IGC, chaired by Pierre Vimont, France's Permanent Representative to the EU, will meet on 23 and 30 October, to discuss the European Parliament, the Court of Justice and extending qualified majority voting in the Council.. Then there will be an informal meeting in Paris on 4 and 5 November, also at the level of the Preparatory Group: the French Presidency should then for the first time submit a revised draft Treaty. Negotiations will continue on 13 November, within the "Vimont Group", then 20 November, at ministerial level, before another informal meeting of the Vimont Group on 24 and 25 November, in Belgium. The Presidency has then reserved four days, from 28 November to 1 December, for bilateral talks, with each of the representatives of the Member States of the EU, on the eve of an ultimate ministerial conclave, on 3 December.